The Big Romantic Gesture Fail
by RicardianScholar Clark-Weasley
Summary: Adrien attempt to make a a big romantic gesture towards Marinette by serenading her while she's out on her balcony...it would really help if he could actually sing.
**Author's Note:** A birthday present for my lovely Tsubaki who is totally to blame for my obsession for this show…

Marinette had been watering the plants on her balcony when she heard the 1950s music suddenly start up beneath her and caught sight of Adrien standing beneath her balcony with a stereo. He opened his mouth and instantly Marinette's stomach plummeted to the ground as she realised what he was going to do.

"Oh dear God _no!"_

"THEY CALL YOU LADY LUCK! BUT THERE IS ROOM FOR DOUBT AT TIMES YOU HAVE A VERY UN-LADY LIKE WAY OF RUNNING OUT-"

It has been three weeks since Marinette discovered that Chat Noir was really Adrien and he found out that she was really Ladybug. Although it took a few days to reconcile the two different sides of the boy, Marinette accepted it with ease and found now she loved him even more. That goofy, pun-dropping, arrogant, smirking Chat Noir part just made Adrien all the more real and endearing and _perfect_ to her.

She should be thrilled that Adrien was now pursuing her both as Chat Noir and Adrien. That he loved her completely too and from that point they should just fall into each other's arms and kiss each other silly.

The problem was that having never received any indication that Adrien liked her, _Marinette_ , before this, she couldn't shake off the feeling that he was only pursuing her because she was Ladybug. She was regretting mentioning this during their last encounter now as Adrien decided to prove her wrong with a grand, big, romantic, gesture.

She was beginning to wish that Tiki granted her the power to dig deep holes in the ground so she could hide away from the world.

Marinette buried her face into her hands and groaned. " _What is he doing_?!" she hissed fiercely.

"LUCK BE A LADY TONIGHT!"

"I believe," Tiki said with dry amusement, "it's called serenading."

"LUCK BE A LADY TONIGHT!"

"Are you sure?" Marinette replied with equal dryness. "Because it sounds a lot like _cat_ erwauling to me."

"Poor Chat," Tiki giggled, "You finally pun and it's at his expense and out of his earshot."

"LUCK IF YOU'VE BEEN A LADY TO BEGIN WITH - LUCK BE A LADY TONIGHT!"

Marinette grimaced as Adrien hit a note that he really ought not to. She was amazed that she could still vaguely recognise the song because singing was obviously a talent that Adrien did _not_ have (but why did that just make him seem even more adorable and cute and perfect and – _gah!_ She has a _problem!_ ) "Okay that's it!" she snapped decisively. "This has to end. Preferably before someone calls the police to complain about the noise."

Tiki blinked at that. "What are you going to do?" she asked warily.

"LUCK LET A GENTLEMAN SEE JUST HOW NICE A DAME YOU CAN BE."

"Nothing _terrible_ ," Marinette reassured Tiki with a slight wince, "I'm just going to give him the treatment his cat screeching deserves."

And with that Marinette gratefully left her balcony and staggered back into her bedroom where Adrien's howl – err, she means _singing_ was slightly muffled by her bedroom walls. She hurried down the hallway towards the kitchen only to halt to a horrifying stop as she realised both of her parents were hanging out of the living room windows.

"Mum! Dad!" she screeched, utterly mortified (how long had they been listening to this?!) " _What are you doing_?!"

Both of her parents whipped round to face her though neither of them looked at all abashed at being caught snooping. "I have you know," her mother said indignantly, "that we were encouraging that poor boy." She shot Marinette a pointed look that suggested she better be going out to meet Adrien or else. "It takes a lot of courage to make a gesture like that."

"Especially with singing talent like that," her father grinned, "Let me tell you that boy is not destined to be in show business. His father made the right call when he pushed him into modelling."

Outside of the bakery, Adrien faltered in his singing when he realised that Marinette had long left the balcony. Disappointment welled up within him as he wondered what exactly it was that he had done wrong this time, had he chosen a terribly cheesy song. Had he put her off by doing it so publicly? Did Marinette just not like being serenaded? Or did she truly not want anything to do with him romantically?

Tom Dupain stuck his head out of the window. "Don't worry Adrien!" he cried out cheerfully enough. "She's only coming down here!"

"Yes!" Sabine Dupain-Cheng called out in agreement as she also stuck her head out of the other living room window. "She's probably going to come down to you," Sabine continued encouragingly. "Don't be discouraged!"

Adrien beamed up at what was honestly the most loving and kind parents he had ever met. Embolden by their cheering he opened his mouth and began to sing again;

"STICK WITH ME BABY, I'M THE GUY THAT YOU CAME IN WITH. LUCK BE A LADY TONIGHT. A LADY NE-"

 **SPLASH!**

Adrien cut himself off with a slight (very manly if you ask him. Do not believe a word Plagg says) screech as he suddenly found himself soaked to the bone. Cold water trickled down his neck and seeped through his clothes and he couldn't help but shiver. " _Marinette_!" her parents bellowed. Adrien couldn't hear what else they said to her because everything drowned them out, his humiliation, the shaking from the cold water, his embarrassment, and -

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Plagg laughed hysterically in Adrien's ear. "Oh that's _priceless_! If you could see your face! _Pfft!_ Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"It's not funny!" Adrien mumbled. "I've just been rejected in the worst way possible."

"Oh don't be such a _drama queen_ ," Plagg rolled his eyes, "first, I told you not to sing because you're terrible, it sounds like you were strangling _me_ , she's only doing what any human has ever done to a screeching cat." Adrien would have protested at this, he wasn't _that_ bad and serenading one's lady was considered very romantic, he had seen the films after all! But Plagg steamrolled over him before he could even open his mouth. "And I would hardly say you've been rejected," he nodded towards the bakery, "or the Princess wouldn't be down here waiting for you to stop brooding."

Adrien turned to find Marinette waiting for him at the back door of the bakery there was a great, big, fluffy towel in her arms and a sheepish look on her face.

She only had to lift her arms up and he was already by her side allowing her to wrap the towel around him. "Come here kitty," she murmured as she lifted the towel over his head and rubbed his hair dry, "I don't want you to catch a cold."

Adrien tried his best not to purr at the contact but it was really hard when her fingers, through the fluffiness of the towel, scratched that spot behind his ear. "I wouldn't be in danger of catching a cold," he smirked, "if _someone_ hadn't poured a bucket of water over me."

His smirk deepened when he noticed the pink flush of embarrassment spread over Marinette's collarbone. She had allowed her temper get the better of her again and was now ashamed. _As she should be_! "I wouldn't have to if a certain cat wasn't so insistent on yowling," Marinette shot back. "It's the only way to shut them up you know."

"There are other, more pleasant, ways to silence a cat," Adrien drawled out flirtatiously, " _My Lady_."

"Oh," Marinette said flatly as if he had no effect on her (which was a lie, she was now unable to look at him in the eye, her cheeks were bright red, and he could hear the hitch in her breathing and would bet money her heat rate hit the roof…..he was having an effect all right and sooner or later he'll get her to act on it. Even if it kills him), "and what would that be?" she asked nonchalantly. Adrien grinned before he closed the space between them with one last step and wrapped his arms around her. He would have kissed her but he suspected that might be taking it a step too far. Besides he wanted a more romantic setting for their first kiss than the back alley after she poured a bucket of water over him. Preferably their first kiss would be under the moon and stars on a clear, summery, night in which he had taken her out for the _best_ of best dates. So instead he squeezed her tightly against his chest. " _Adrien_!" Marinette squawked as she squirmed against him. "You're soaking me!"

Adrien laughed delightedly as he let Marinette go and revelled in the sight of her white t-shirt now completely soaked through from the water that still drenched him. He could now definitely see the outline of her bra….probably best not to tell her that or she might use her yoyo to inflict extreme pain on him. "Fair is fair, Princess," he grinned instead. "At least it wasn't a bucket over your head. So be kind," he pleaded, "Luck be a Lady tonight."

"Urgh," Marinette rolled her eyes, "you're dreadful," she informed him with mock solemnness, "seriously, _dreadful_. Come on then," she nudged him towards the bakery's backdoor, "Mum is making hot chocolate."

As always Adrien happily followed where his Lady led and fortunately she still decided to not lead him down to hell (though if she did lead him down there he would still follow like the lovesick puppy Plagg declares him to be). He was greeted warmly by both Tom and Sabine who reassured him Marinette was certainly going to be punished for the stunt she pulled (Marinette's protests were duly ignored at that), and that his singing was not that terrible (though Tom's smile became rather fake at this point, Plagg snorted into Adrien's collar, and Sabine's voice wavered a little on the lie), and that he was more than welcome to stay until he dried off properly.

"Enjoy your hot chocolate, Adrien," Sabine said as she pressed the warm mug into Adrien's hands, "I've made it especially for you."

"Thank you Mrs Dupain-Cheng," Adrien said politely as he took a small sip. Almost instantly he melted at the rich, creamy, taste of what had to be the best hot chocolate in the world. " _Mmm_!" he moaned delightedly. "It's _delicious_!"

"Sabine," Sabine corrected Adrien for the billionth time since they met, "and I'm glad you like it. There's plenty more where that comes from just ask. Now you settle down and warm up while _Marinette,_ " she grabbed her daughter's arm firmly and began to pull her daughter away, "can learn how to use a bucket of water properly by cleaning the kitchen."

"But _Mum_!" Marinette wailed.

"No buts young lady!" Sabine said sternly. "I want to see that kitchen _sparkling_!"

Adrien tried not to smile at this, after all there was no real enjoyment of seeing his Princess in trouble, but the whole warm family feel to this whole scene got to him and he couldn't help but smile sadly as he felt the familiar pang of envy that Marinette got such a loving family that supported her completely.

He froze when he saw a giant shadow loom over him and slowly looked up to meet the equally warm and cheerful face of Tom Dupain.

"A little word of advice," Tom murmured quietly, "grand big gestures embarrass Marinette. She gets flustered easily," Adrien nodded in agreement as he remembered all the many times Marinette has gone bright pink and stuttered her way through an incoherent sentence, "in future," Tom continued with a wink, "stick with flowers."

Adrien beamed. "I can do that," he said happily.

Tom ruffled his hair. "Good lad," he said fondly.

(A week later Tom regrets this advice when Adrien managed to fill the entire apartment with hundreds of different flowers. "One thing could be said about the kid," he admitted grudgingly, "is that he doesn't do things by _halves,_ does he?")


End file.
